Pasta Salad

I love pasta salad.  When I was a wee lass, my mom would ask what I wanted for my birthday food and my reply was almost always pasta salad!  I can't even explain why I was so obsessed with it as a child.  It may have been the olives, or the water chest nuts.  I remember having store bought pasta salad at a family reunion or something.  I realized in one bite that there was no comparison to my home-made birthday version.  wow.

I had a few things in the fridge left over from making pizza and realized they would go nicely with spiral noodles.

Sun-dried tomatoes, artichoke hearts, and black olives (though unfortunately canned).  Fetta would have been a nice addition, but I had ricotta.  I used liquid from the artichoke hearts and tomatoes with the ricotta to make a sauce.  A dash of salt, black pepper, and oregano rounded out the experience.  Well, eating this yummy dish on my back porch on an amazing spring day is really what rounded out the experience!

~JiMele

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Pasta Salad
(sort of Mediterranean style)
8oz Rotini (or what ever shape you like for pasta salad)
2 artichoke hearts (reserving some of the liquid from the jar)
8-16 sun-dried tomatoes (reserving some juice from the jar)
olives
1/4 - 1/3 cup ricotta cheese
salt, black pepper, oregano (dry or fresh)
Fresh Parmesan cheese

While pasta is cooking (according to package directions) chop artichoke, tomatoes and olives.  Combine ricotta cheese, spices and some of the liquid from the artichoke and tomato jars until the mixture resembles a thick dressing.  Taste to be sure you like the seasoning ratios and adjust if you need to, it's easier to do now than at the end.  Once the pasta is done, drain off the water, add the chopped ingredients and the dressing.  Shred some fresh Parmesan over the top and stir all together.